Pomegranate Quinoa Salad in 6 Steps

A is for App	N is for Nuts or Nut butter
B is for Babyccino & Balsamic Vinegar	O is for Organic
C is for Chia Seeds, Carrot & Cardamom	P is for Pomegranate & Pistachio
D is for Dairy-free	Q is for Quinoa
E is for Edamame & Ergobaby	R is for Rainbow Sushi Roll
F is for Free-Range Eggs & Farro	S is for Swaddling
G is for Gluten-Free	T is for Trader Joe's
H is for Hummus & Honey	U is for Umbrella Stroller
I is for Ikea	V is for Vaccination
J is for Jute bag	W is for Whole Foods
K is for Kale	X is for Xanthan Gum-Free
L is for Linguistic Stimulation & Lemon	Y is for Yogurt (probiotic)
M is for Maple Syrup & Mint	Z is for Zombie-Mommy

You know it's time for a pre-fall salad, when kids start heading back to school, Trader Joe's starts handing out the above photographed back to school inspired ABC stickers, the pomegranate tree starts giving fruit, and yours truly shares this delicious quinoa salad recipe with you. The preparation time is only 30 minutes; and you are rewarded with a healthy salad, and the opportunity to teach your child a new series of ABC associations, which clearly evaded our generation.

Ingredients:

1 cup of red quinoa (washed and drained)

1.5 cups of water

1/4 teaspoon of salt

Seeds of 1 pomegranate

4 carrots (peeled and roughly grated)

1/2 cup of mint leaves (chopped)

1/4 cup of pistachios (thinly sliced)

2 clementines (cut into halves)

Dressing:

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup of olive oil

1 teaspoon of honey (to balance the flavors)

1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon of salt (or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

3 crushed green cardamom

Step 1: In a pot add 1 and 1/2 cups of cold water, and bring to a boil, over high heat. Add the washed quinoa, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the boiling water. Bring the water back to a boil. 

Step 2: Cover and cook on low heat for 20-30 minutes, or until quinoa is tender.

Step 3: Transfer the cooked quinoa into a plate and let it cool. 

Step 4: To make the dressing, mix juice of a lemon, 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1 teaspoon each of honey, and balsamic vinegar.

Step 5: Add the seeds of 1 pomegranate, 3 grated carrots, 1/2 cup chopped mint leaves, 1/4 cup sliced pistachios in a mixing bowl. Add the cooled quinoa. Season with 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and salt and pepper.

Step 6: Mix in the salad dressing. It is important that you taste the salad and check that it has a good balance between sweet and sour. Transfer the salad into a serving dish.

We had this delicious salad with Salmon.